Apparatus for electroplating pipes.



D. H. MURPHY. APPARATUS FOR ELEOTROPLATING PIPES.

Patented Nov. 25, 1913.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 9, 1913' UNITED STATES PATENT canton- DANIEL H. mines; or PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, Assrenon '20 Amnnrcen CONDITIT .MZANUFACTUBIN G COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A COR- v PORATIONY orf'rnnnsrnvnnm.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, DANIEL H. MURPHY,

' a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain 'new and useful Improvements in Apparatus =for Electroplating Pipes,-of which the following isa full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being :had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification. I

My invention relates to an improved apparatus for electroplating rods or pipe, by which the rods or pipe. being treated are moved positively in the plating solution'so that all portions of the surface of the'rods or pipe are presented uniformly for the electrolytic operation. By my invention the operation may either be intermittent or continuous, and while the apparatus-is somewhat different for the continuous operation from what it is for the intermittent opera-- 7 tion, as long as they may be made to roll tion with such a. supporting surface I proupon the' supporting surfaces which I provide.

An essential feature of the apparatus of my invention is a support for the pipes upon which they; may restand be rolled so as to present the surface of the pipes uniformly to the plating operation, and in combinavide an operating member having a yielding surface in engagement with the upper surfaces of the pipe, so that by movement of said member the; pipes are positively rotated in, the plating solution. I provide this operating member with an inflated hose, or

1 1: tube which. serves as the yielding means engaging the pipes. This tube, whichis re" tained in operative position by any suitable retaining means, serves to effectually grip e gin;

s ecification of Letters Patent. I "hpplication filed my 9, 1913. Serial No. scenes.

of these parts would appear.

APPARATUS FOR 'ELECTROPLATING'PIPES. i k r Patented Nov. 25, 1913.

the pipes and positively rotate the same in the plating solution.

In the drawings illustrating my invention Figure 1 shows, in cross section, a plating tank in which the parts are arranged for intermittent plating of successive lots of pipes; Fig. 2 is a top viewlof a form of .plating tank in which the operation ,is'continuous; Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail view taken on the line H of Fig. 3 and lookinlg in the direction indicated by .the arrows, this view illustrating the relation between the pneumatic tube or-hose, the operating merhber and the pipes to be plated.

Similar reference numerals refer to's'imilar parts throughout the-several views.

As shown in F ig. 1, the tank 1 contains transverse supporting members 2, preferably of wood, upon which the conductors 3 are located. The conductors 3 form supportsfor the pipes 4:, which supports are substantially horizontal. A plurality of anodes 5 are disposed in the bottom of the tank'so as to give roper distribution of the metal, to be deposited throughout the solution in the tank. The pipes 4: are engaged upon their up er surfaces by operating members 6, each 0 which has secured to its. lower surface a tube or hose 7, preferably of rubber, This tube or hose is provided with a suitable nonreturn valve 7*, through whichair may bepassed into the tube to inflate the same. The said tubes 7 yield when they engage the pipes and thus permit positive engagement with all of the pipes in the tank. The tubes 7 serve effectually to. grip the pipes because of the fact that they yield readilywhen brought into. contact wlth the same.

While Fig. l of course illustrates but one each of the anodes 5, supporting conductors and operating members, wish ittobe understood that if a plan view of the tank shown in Fig. I were-submitted, a plurality f'ea'ch I have not thought it necessary to show aplan view of these panama the presentdnvention is particularly concerned with the provision of the resilient means interposed between the operatin member and the pipes. This feature of the device of my invention is clearly illustrated in Fig. 1. The members 6 have formed on their left-hand ends brackets 8 which are engaged on their outer ends by 1-lis provided with a suitable pulley,-not

shown, by means of which itis rotated in order to reciprocate the members 6 and thus oscillate the pipes 4 in the tank. The ends of the operating members 6 opposite to the brackets S are engaged by the guides 6 to keep the operating members in proper position upon the pi cs. The conductors 3, which are prefera ly of copper, are connected together and with one brush 19 of a plating generator 20, the other brush 21 of which is connected by a wire 22 with all of the anodes 5 employed in the tank. Extra anodes, as shown at 5, are provided above the pipes over the conductors 3 to make more uniform the distribution of the plating operation, which otherwise might be somewhat less, adjacent to the contact surfaces between the pipes and the conductors 3. The tank lis tilled to a sufficient depth with plating solution so as to cover the anodes if and the pipes are oscillated a sufiicient length of time to receive the'desired thickness of coating which may be of any desired material, usuall copper or zinc.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in Figs. 2 to 4, inclusive, the tank 23 is so conformed that the conductors 24 forming the supports for the pipes 25 are at their ends above the top 0 the tank 23 and at each end are best so as to form inclined runways down into the tank, with level portions of the conductors across the bottom of the tank, thus affording supports for the pipes as they are about to enter the tank, as shown at 26, for subsequently leading the pipes down into the tank and across the )ottom thereof and for afterward running the pipes up out of the tank to the position indicated at 27, after the plating operation has been completed. The pipes 25 are engaged durin their progress through the tank by flexible belts which may be of canvas or rubber provided with inflated tubes or hoses 28 as shown. The tubes 28 are slightly compressed when brought into engagement with the pipes, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, thus serving to engage the pi es to move them throu h the tank. The be ts are supported by uide wheels 20, 30 and 31,

and pass over riving pulleys 32 so that the belts will take a osition substantially parallel with the coat uctor supports 24. Backing plates 33, 34 and 35 are provided in the tank for securely holdin the belt in engagement with the pipes ietween the guide wheels. Suitable means may be provided for adjusting the distance between the supports 2% and the belts, so that different sizes of pipe may be engaged and moved through the tank thereby, such means not being here shown in detail. The drivin pulleys 32, 32 are mounted upon the shatts 3G and 37 connected together at 38 by a universal joint, said shafts being driven by a pulley 39 from any suitable source of power, not shown. The belts and tubes 28 are disposed obliquel in the tank 23 and at an an le to each other, as indicated, so that difierent parts of the pipes are engaged thereby as they are moved through the tank, as a result of which no particular part of the pipe is protected unduly in the plating operation by engagement with the conductors 24 and the tubes 28. Furthermore, by the inclination of the belts and tubes 28 in opposite directions, the resultant side thrusts upon the pipes as they pass through the tank are balanced and thus the motion of the pipes through the tank is without displacement toward one side or the other of the tank. In this modification, the anodes are located at 40 in the bottom of the tank and in practice electrical connections are made with the anodes 40 and the conductors in a manner similar to that shown and described in connection with the structure illustrated in F i g. l.

he tank 23 maybe made of such a length that a single passage through it by the pipes 25 will we them a sufiicient thickness of deposite metal, or if desired, the pipes may be run through the tank a numer of times or successively through a series of similar tanks so as to use different plating conditions, as desired, at different points in the process. The speed of the belts and tubes 28 may be varied, as desired, to change the length of time which the plating operation continues in the tank 23 upon any given pipe 25.

It should, of course, be borne in mind that any suitable means may be employed for securing the inflated pipe-engaging tubes to the members carrying the same. in the drawings I have shown an arrange ment wherein the inflated tubes are secured to their supporting members by means of rivets or bolts embedded in the tubes, I do not wish to be limited to this embodiment of my invention, but claim broadly any equivalent means for securing the inflated tubes to their supportin members.

What I claim and (OSlIQ to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In an a aratus for electroplating pipes, the com mation of a tank for containing the plating solution, a conductor support in t e tank for the pipes to be plated, an anode in the tank, and an operating member disposed above said conduc- While tor support provided with an inflated tube, which tube is held in contact with the pipes to positively rotate the same, and mechanism connected with the operating member 7 for moving it to rotate the pipes.

Q. In an apparatus for electroplating pipes, the combination of a tank, for containing the plating solution, a conductor support in the tank for the pipes to be plated, an anode in the tank, and an operating member provided With a. readily coinpressible tube of substantially circular cross section, said tube being held in contact with the pipes to positively rotate the same, and mechanism connected with the operating member for moving it to rotate the pipes.

3. In an apparatus for electroplating pipes, the combination of a tank for containing a plating solution, said tank comprising a substantially horizontal support for the pipes to be plated, an operating member provided with a readily compressibl-e inflated tube of substantially circular cross-section, said tube being held in contact with the pipes to positively rotate the same, and mechanism connected with the operating member for moving it to rotate the pipes.

4. In an apparatus for electroplating pipes, the combination of, a tank for containing the plating solution, an operating member comprising an inflated tube for simultaneously and positively engaging the topmost surfaces of a plurality of pipes, a conductor support in the tank for the pipes to be plated, an anode in vices connected with the operating member for moving it to rotate the pipes.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this first day of May, A. D. 1913.

DANIEL H. MURPHY. Witnesses WALTER W. ScHLnonL, C. L. FISHER.

the tank, and de- 

